As In a Mirror

The study of missions, in the past and the present, is one of my passions. One missionary of times past who has been a tremendous inspiration to me is Amy Carmichael. I will not take the time to tell her whole life’s story, but basically, God led her to India to do what she never dreamed of doing: rescuing little children from Hindu temple prostitution. Pastors and Christian people would work to rescue children from the temples and bring them to Amy and the Indian Christan women who worked with her. Sometimes little children found their way to Amy themselves. Over time, Amy and her companions founded a home to raise these rescued children in the way of the Lord; Amy spent the rest of her life devoted to this cause. Today, Donhavur Fellowship continues this wonderful work of rescuing precious gems. I have heard of many different organizations that also work for the same cause. Some music groups like Casting Crowns and Hillsong United have helped spread the word about these issues and called out to believers to stand up for justice and look after the least of these, to give a cup of cold water to the little ones.

It is absolutely horrific to think that innocent children around the world are sold into slavery, sometimes by their own parents, and they are held captive in their hearts for the rest of their lives, unless people of God find them and help them. I have known for a long time this ugly fact– that slavery is not a thing of the past; it still exists all over the world, yes even in the United States. “But… I thought it was abolished with the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment!” I am so sorry to say, but that is not the case. It is a different slavery than what we may imagine–it is not hard labor in the cotton fields, but the slavery of prostitution. For real, why do we have so many “missing children” and kidnappings? Somehow, I always thought this modern-day slavery to be going on in third world countries and in the big cities here in the West. But this past Sunday, I was shocked to discover that one of the biggest money-making prostitution-slavery locations in the United States is in Utica, New York. Dear God!

Though I have known these things and have prayed about them, I always felt kind of distant and helpless, like there was little I could do. But this Sunday I discovered an opportunity that was right at my fingertips!

Pearl Alliance, an outreach of John and Lisa Bevere’s Ministry, is an alliance that serves to stop human trafficking. Donations to Pearl Alliance go directly to safe houses where women and children can recover and learn to support themselves! Pearl Alliance also helps fund legal raids on brothels, to rescue the slaves and then help them to recover physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually, so that they can go on living without the haunting fear and darkness. They take great measures to prevent further kidnappings and “sales” of children. Best of all, Pearl Alliance provides ways for YOU to directly help those precious souls; you can give whatever donation God lays on your heart; you can buy resources that help spread the word about these issues. Remember, your gift is what will pay for the immediate needs of the rescued girls, boys, and women!

For a few years now, believers all around the world have been anticipating something like we have no other time in history. This phrase has stuck with us: the glory of God! We have been studying it, observing in it, and learning to walk in it. We are also anticipating God coming in the fullness, the brightness of His glory. What exactly will occur when Jesus comes in His glory?

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’
“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’
“Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:31-46)

Will we be ready for His glory? Will we have loved the least of these? Please visit the Pearl Alliance website and see what you can do!

Other Pearl Alliance Bloggers:
Miss Szymanski
Jay
Rebecca
The Brick Buster
You too? Leave a comment!